Liu Bian at the start, so you're called Dong Zhuo, right?

When Liu Bian came out of Zhangde Hall, the excitement on his face gradually faded.

Although His Majesty has granted permission, matters of the marketplace cannot be discussed on paper; one must go and see for oneself.

The common people are different from those in the palace. The ways of making money and the people's hearts are more numerous and complex than those in the palace. He knew this from his previous life.

He returned to Changqiu Palace, and Xun Yu immediately went to greet him, saying:

"Your Highness, did His Majesty say anything today?"

Liu Bian slowly said, "My father took me to his market and asked me to start making changes."

Immediately, Liu Bian raised his hand, and the clerk who was attending him quickly stepped forward and handed Xun Yu the record of the day's events.

Xun Yu frowned slightly after reading it:

"His Majesty's decision to put His Highness in charge of the 'Palace Market' is ostensibly an act of favor, a form of play, or a whim."

Then, he changed the subject and looked at Liu Bian:

"Your Highness's actions today, in my opinion, actually have a deeper meaning."

He paused, then continued, "Your Highness, do you have any thoughts in mind?"

Liu Bian smiled, knowing he couldn't hide it from Xun Yu, and said:

"Now, our great Han Dynasty is beset by internal and external troubles. The ranks of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers have been so absurdly decided that the highest bidder wins."

"If I want to save the Han Dynasty, I must first establish new policies, and then eliminate external threats."

Having said that, he bowed solemnly:

"Please help me, sir."

Xun Yu was silent for a moment, then sighed and said in a low voice:

"Saving the Han people is not something that can be achieved simply by shouting 'new policies'."

"Your Highness said today that 'the highest bidder wins,' and I understand the pain involved. Selling official positions and titles damages the reputation; when the reputation is in turmoil, the people's hearts are in turmoil; when the people's hearts are in turmoil, military power, financial power, and government orders all become empty words."

He paused, then spoke in a softer tone:

"Your Highness wishes to establish new policies, and I am willing to assist you."

"But let me ask Your Highness first—is Your Highness seeking 'merit' or 'legislation'?"

Liu Bian answered very steadily:

"To legislate, to legislate for the world."

"it is good."

"Your Highness, I have three agreements to make."

"Firstly, Your Highness only talks about 'fun' and 'excitement' in front of His Majesty, but never about new policies or reforms. What Your Highness really wants to do must be hidden within the 'rules'."

"Secondly, Your Highness, if you want to do things, start with the small things: first, guard your own people, your own money, and your own gates in the Eastern Palace. If the gates are not secure, the more laws you have, the more chaotic things will become."

Thirdly, Xun Yu's gaze darkened slightly, "If Your Highness leaves the palace, you must take Cao Mengde with you."

Liu Bian nodded:

"That's exactly what I was thinking too."

Xun Yu then pressed for details:

"Since Your Highness has spoken of establishing new policies, are there any nascent plans for them?"

Liu Bian lowered his head slightly, as if carefully considering his words. After a moment, he said:

"Sir, you have a discerning eye. I do have a somewhat immature idea in my mind."

"First, establish a register: people, money, things, and events—everything can be registered and traced."

"Establish new procedures. For example, the palace market: purchases must be requested, goods must be inspected upon entry, goods must be issued with vouchers, sales must be marked, and daily settlements must be completed. Every step must be written down step by step."

Xun Yu nodded and said, "What Your Highness says is very good."

He closed the booklet, his fingertips gently pressing the corners, his tone unhurried yet weighty:

"In my opinion, this matter has three advantages and three disadvantages."

Liu Bian looked up, like a child attentively listening to a lecture: "Please teach me, sir."

Xun Yu first spoke of benefits.

"Firstly, the name is correct."

"The palace market is a forbidden area, and the outer court is not in a position to interfere. Now that His Majesty has personally ordered Your Highness to handle it, it is as if His Highness has been given a 'useful door'. Your Highness can do whatever you want in it, and even if others are unwilling, they can hardly accuse you of overstepping your authority."

Secondly, try out the method.

"If the Crown Prince intends to do something, he can do it here. Although the palace market is small, it has people, money, goods, and officials. It is most suitable for testing the 'procedures' that His Highness wants to implement—name recording, verification, ten-day reports, and accountability can all be tested here first. If it works, it will become a standard practice; if it doesn't, it will just be a game in the palace and won't cause any serious damage."

Thirdly, gathering people.

"Once the palace market moves, it will affect the eunuchs, the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Workshop, and even the suppliers in Luoyang. If Your Highness knows how to use this, you can use it to identify, select, and control people—without having to openly win them over, you can get people to come to you on their own."

As he said this, his gaze darkened slightly, and he turned to talk about the illness.

"Firstly, financial troubles."

"Once the market opens, money will move. When money moves, people's hearts will be stirred. What the palace fears most is not spending money, but spending money without a record or proof of where it comes and goes. If eunuchs and palace maids are allowed to manipulate things in His Highness's name, then it will not be His Highness who controls the market, but the market that controls His Highness."

Secondly, it is a problem related to name.

"The matter of the palace market has already drawn much criticism from outsiders. If Your Highness acts too hastily or forcefully, some will seize the opportunity to say that Your Highness is 'fond of commerce' and 'fond of the marketplace,' and that you are following in His Majesty's footsteps. Your Highness's position is not yet secure, and this label must not be firmly placed on you."

Thirdly, physical ailments.

Xun Yu looked at Liu Bian, lowering his voice even further:

"Your Highness has decided to leave the palace. Luoyang is the capital, and the waters run deep. In the city, powerful people, wandering knights, outlaws, brokers, and delinquent youths all mingle. If Your Highness's identity is revealed, even just a little bit, it will be enough to attract murderous intent, hijacking, or even extortion."

Liu Bian felt a slight tightness in his chest. Now that he had calmed down and thought about it, he realized that this matter did indeed involve many risks.

Xun Yu reached out his hand, and the clerk immediately stepped forward to take the booklet.

He then said, "Therefore, my opinion is that this matter can be done, but it should be done slowly, carefully, and secretly."

"Slow" means not rushing for credit; meticulous means establishing accounts and responsibilities first; discreet means not letting others see Your Highness's true intentions.

Liu Bian nodded slightly and said:

"And another thing is, I need to pass the exam immediately."

"All those in the Eastern Palace, whether eunuchs or officials, must have duties, deadlines, and accountability."

"The guards are formed in ten days, and their names are drafted in five days; this is the assessment."

"Reward those who do well; punish those who do poorly; rewards and punishments are not arbitrary, but based on the rules."

"As long as the candidate passes the examination and is established, the Crown Prince's Palace can move from 'rule by man' to 'rule by affairs'."

As he spoke, the childlike innocence in his eyes finally faded somewhat.

"Furthermore, establish 'equal distribution'—first test it out on a small scale in the Eastern Palace."

"Sir, you know that prices in Luoyang are chaotic, and the chaos is boundless."

"Scales, measures, and rulers should have been standardized, but each household has its own private system."

"I want to establish a standard system in the palace market using official measuring measures: official measures will be used for both incoming and outgoing goods. Anyone who dares to alter these measures will be immediately expelled from the palace market."

"Once it's done in the palace, it can be promoted to the general public in the future, and then it will have a name."

Xun Yu's gaze narrowed slightly upon hearing this:

"Does Your Highness wish to change the system of weights and measures?"

Liu Bian shook his head, extremely cautious:

"I dare not say I can move the whole world, I only dare to say—let's start by taking action against the small part of the Crown Prince's palm."

"The palace market is my father's plaything, and no one dares to compete with it. If I establish the official measuring cup and ruler, it will be equivalent to establishing a public trust."

He paused before revealing a deeper layer of meaning.

Finally, establish a business.

"It's not about accumulating wealth, but about cutting off the middle."

"Purchases made in the palace often go through intermediaries, with each intermediary adding a markup. If a merchant has a presence in the countryside, they can buy directly from the place of origin: they can find out which prefecture the silk comes from, where the salt comes from, and which mountain the medicinal herbs come from."

"If we can investigate thoroughly, we can save money; if we save money, the Crown Prince can do more things."

"More importantly—the trading company can serve as the treasury for my Eastern Palace."

He looked at Xun Yu, his tone soft yet firm:

"Sir, the initial form of the new policy is not about making sweeping changes."

"The first step is to establish a set of rules that are 'verifiable, calculable, and accountable'."

"Once the rules are established, people will act in accordance with them; when people act in accordance with the rules, the court will gradually return to the right track."

The hall was quiet.

Xun Yu stared at him for a long time, then suddenly asked:

"Since Your Highness speaks of 'legislating laws for the world,' do you know where the greatest resistance to these laws will come from?"

Liu Bian did not evade the question, but answered decisively:

"It comes from the vested interests."

"Those who sell official positions, those who profit from the middle, and those who make a fortune through chaos—they won't let the rules be established."

He took a deep breath, as if swallowing the second half of the sentence:

"That's why I'm starting with the Crown Prince's Palace."

"First, set an example. Let others see that rules can get things done, prevent money from being lost, and deter people from taking advantage of others."

"Only then will we be qualified to talk about 'the world'."

After he finished speaking, he bowed to Xun Yu again:

"Sir, these are the initial outlines of my new policies."

"Please write them down as entries for me, starting with the palace market and the Eastern Palace accounts, one by one."